Letters of Support
Szymanski Letter
October 05, 2006
Dear Boulder Country Commissioners,
I am writing to let you know my thoughts on our local neighborhood potluck
and house concert series hosted by Greg and Debbie Ching. As a 17 year owner
of Planet Bluegrass, which produces some of the state's biggest music
festivals including the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, RockyGrass, Folks
Festival and others, I know the difference between a for-profit entity and a
gathering of friends with food and music. I have enjoyed the Ching's potluck
and music series for years and feel it is an essential ingredient for a
healthy and happy mountain neighborhood.
Over the years, our area has faced myriad environmental and management
issues and the series regularly brings together members of PUMA (Preserve
Unique Magnolia Association), responsible for the adoption of the MEPP plan
(Magnolia Environmental Protection Plan) and is also a wonderful way to meet
new mountain neighbors as well. In fact, this PUMA group has gathered
regularly in a similar fashion (sans music) for over 10 years in a variety
of homes around the Magnolia neighborhood.
As far as the music component, many of the artists are not able to perform
anywhere in the area due to the lack of venues who support less well know
artists. So the living room is the only way to hear their art. This happens
all over Colorado in Denver, Boulder, Lyons and Golden, and beyond.
I can also say without a doubt that music remains one of the greatest gifts
society has to overcome the diversity of socio-political-cultural
differences and has helped our neighborhood become more understanding of
each other.
I hope you can appreciate the value of gatherings such as these and allow
them to continue as long as efforts are made to keep them small and no
profit is made from any activity, musical or otherwise, that takes place.
Sincerely,
Steve Szymanski
Vice-president
Planet Bluegrass
